wood benches

[bob haight]

I will need a sturdy stand or bench for my enlarger and another for working in the darkroom. I will be checking out Lowes or Home Depot, but I fear this stuff will be fairly flimsy or unsteady. Any leads on companies which make specialty workstations in wood for darkrooms, etc. Thanks

[dave_karp]

Bob,

 

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Some people use a Black and Decker product. I think it is called the

Workmate. Although this is probably less than you want, my setup was

temporary so I used a low tech solution: Sturdy saw horses with a

high grade plywood work surface. The high grade plywood has a very

smooth surface. The plywood was attached with C clamps. If you have a

long span, you can put a saw horse under the middle. This turned out

to be very sturdy, and allowed me to store items under the "table."

This also made it easy for me to break the whole setup down when the

room was needed for something other than a darkroom. (It was a

bathroom darkroom. When my son arrived it became a bathroom again!)

 

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I hope this helps.

[bill_jefferson]

Bob,

I bought a set of steel legs, and bolted an oak pallet on to them,

added a sheet of 3/4" plywood cut to size, and screwed on painted all

black. rock solid

 

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Bill

[jay_wolfe]

My enlarger is in an alcove. I built a support platform with 2" x

4" lumber around three side that are set even with a Home Depot

cabinet. Then I made a bench top with two layers of particle board,

the top one of which is covered with melamine to match the Home

Depot capinet. The bench top is supported by the 2" x 4"s, not the

cabinet. It's rock solid, and very stiff.

[john_kasaian2]

Bob, My Father-in-law has two steel office filing cabinets with a

solid core wood door laying across the tops. A very sturdy "no build"

solution! Cheers!

[david_hall6]

I second the solid core wood door answer. I had a darkroom for

a decade with just that...a wooden door across two metal file

cabinets, and it was great. Extremely sturdy and bigger than

most desks.

 

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dgh

[rick_obermeyer]

Bob,

I'd check out any used office furniture retailers in your area.

They buy up and resell Steelcase file cabinets,desks,tables and

table tops,work surfaces, as they're called in the industry in case

you might want to make your own custom table.

[bob.]

I used a row of low-cost fitted kitchen cabinets, pulled out from the

wall by 10 inches or so to get extra depth for the top. Cabinets

screwed to each other for rigidity. Thick melamine covered

particleboard top screwed to cabinets and 2x2 inch timber battens at

cabinet height around the wall (solid core door as suggested

elsewhere would work fine too). Get cabinets with adjustable feet to

level them off. Takes my Durst L1200 without a murmer.

 

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Did the same on the other side for my damp-bench (same as a wet-bench

but no proper sink - just a 1-inch deep top covered with a loose

fitting butyl pond liner so I can take it into the shower to clean it

when needed)...

 

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Cheers,

[garry_teeple1]

I found an old heavy metal desk in great shape for only $15. Built

like a tank and is easy to level. Works great in a sit down darkroom

but if you stand it would have to be raised.

[david_grandy5]

I did some photography a few years ago for a fine cabinetmaker and

we traded off. He made me a custom designed table for the enlarger

which kind of pissed off my wife since the finest piece of furniture

was sitting my darkroom.

 

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He built the top out of MTF and the whole thing must weigh 200

pounds. it has a couple of cabinets on the left side and very wide

(20x24 paper wide)shelves on the right. I had him leave a channel

through the centre on the floor, so that I could snake a foot pedal

through. I mounted the Chromega D5-XL enlarger directly onto the

table with some very large bolts and that did away with the

baseboard. Since I use a 20x24 Simmons-Omega easel that has meant

that I don't have to worry about it slipping off. On the right side

of the table I keep a large paper cutter.

 

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If anyone want to see a picture of this table you can email me and

I'll send along a shot.

[domenico_foschi]

You should check the book " Build your own darkroom" . It has

easy projects for very sturdy items.

I build my own from that book .

I made two super sturdy tables, an adjustable baseboard for my

enlarger, exaust fan lodging, Lightbox....

It is a great resource